Early this morning, as I walked through the area, I noticed dark clouds gathering over Table Mountain, signalling that rain was imminent. Traditionalists, of course, will say this is a good sign, that the gods will celebrate the start of the new year with us, while the rain will wash away all the bad things that happened in 2025, allowing 2026 to start on a clean slate.
But life is not that simple and much of what was bad about 2025 will continue into 2026, including much of the uncertainty. For me, this was probably one of the words that best described 2025: uncertainty. About politics, globally and locally, about the economy, globally and locally, and so much more. The only certain thing was death. We ended up attending funerals of friends, comrades and family almost every weekend.
2025 was a year when the world moved decidedly to the right, buoyed by Donald Trump becoming the president of the United States of America, and his multitude of actions to promote those who look and sound like him internationally. Ok, maybe not sound like him, but definitely look like him.
The almost impunity with which he has mis-governed America has made him the envy of dictators throughout the world, causing uncertainty in many countries with tentative democracies.
Trump’s limited grasp of economics led to him causing havoc with the world’s economy, forcing many countries to explore alternative markets even though the USA had traditionally been one of their key markets. His key economic weapon has been tariffs which ultimately impacted negatively on the American people he is supposed to serve.
Trump’s political actions seem to indicate that he is beholden to two people: the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Russian president, Vladimir Putin.
With Trump steadfastly in his corner, Netanyahu has been able to commit a mass genocide in Palestine for more than two years, killing tens of thousands, including many women and children. Among the main targets for the Israeli killers have been journalists, who have been bravely trying to report on a one-sided conflict where no live is sacred.
The people of Palestine have been living with uncertainty for two years, and will continue to do so in 2026, despite America’s promises of ceasefires and peace plans.
There is a strong call within America for the Trump administration to be effectively dislodged in the mid-term elections in 2026, but there is no certainty that the people who are disgusted with Trump will be able to generate enough votes to do so.
He has defied logic in the past and he can do it again.
In South Africa, we are dealing with our own challenges, apart from those visited on us by Trump and his believers.
Our economy has been stagnant for too long and it has been almost impossible to make a dent in the huge unemployment figures. Added to that is the rampant corruption which has been exposed by several high-profile commissions of inquiry with little concrete action being taken afterwards.
Closer to home for me, there is another genocide happening in the area known as the Cape Flats, where I grew up and where gangsters and drug dealers rule without much fear of being caught by police. Thousands of young people have made the ultimate sacrifice as gangsters and drug dealers fight for turf in poor communities.
It is easy to become despondent if one looks at the state of the world today. There are conflicts in many countries, and in some cases, there seems to be no end in sight. Against this background, it is easy to become despondent.
But one thing that can change in 2026 is our attitude. Instead of complaining about what is wrong with the world, we should look at what we can do to help change things in a positive way.
Those of us who were involved in the struggle against apartheid, need to revisit the lessons we learned in those days and see if they could be useful to help a new generation of activists.
The words that I hope to take into 2026 are positivity and change. I hope to make a positive contribution to change in our society so that we can create a better world for the people around us.
I hope your life will be filled with positivity in 2026 and that changes will help to enhance your life and the lives of your loved ones. Happy new year.
(First posted on SubStack on 31 December 2025.)
